A few years ago, I wrote several posts on my efforts to reduce the number of paper towels I was using to clean around the house. Those posts sparked a lot of insightful discussions in the comments, and plenty of those comments were very beneficial!
One of the standouts came Denise, who has cleaned 15-20 bathrooms every week for 20 years before her well-deserved retirement. (I knew right off the bat I was dealing with a bathroom cleaning expert. If working somewhere 20 years doesn’t make you an expert; I don’t know what does!)
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In her comment, Denise shared her secret for cleaning bathrooms efficiently, quickly, and with very little waste. I was extremely impressed with how streamlined her process was and asked her if she could share her secret cleaning method on my blog. She generously agreed. We all owe Denise a huge “Thank you!” for today’s post! :)
As I told her, I hadn’t ever really come up with an efficient routine for cleaning the entire bathroom at once. After applying Denise’s method, I could clean my bathroom thoroughly in a fraction of the time it used to take.
This method is quick enough to include it in your everyday chores as frequently as you’d like! Test it for yourself, and you’ll find you love it as much as I do.
Secret To Cleaning Your Bathroom In 15 Minutes Or Less
You’ll need:
- Toilet brush
- Cleaning spray
- Microfiber cloth
- 3-4 paper towels
- An old bath towel (optional)
Directions:
Related: The One Recipe You Need To Keep Your Toilet Clean
Toilet
The bathroom toilet is one of the most dreaded chores in the house. Everyone wants to use it, but no one wants to clean it. And I can’t blame them, it’s not exactly glamorous, and no one wants to talk about what goes on there.
But a little daily maintenance to keep things from getting out of control and a weekly scrub down is all it takes to make your throne fit for a queen.
Related: Unclog A Clogged Toilet With These Simple Hacks
Step 1 – Apply Cleaner
Apply a toilet bowl cleaner, like Scrubbing Bubbles, or an all-purpose cleaner to your toilet bowl. I like to use my homemade toilet bowl cleaner.
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My homemade toilet cleaner includes baking soda and borax, which are a powerhouse combination and do an excellent job cleaning those hard water stains. And the Castile soap combines with essential oils to leave the throne smelling fresh and clean.
Step 2 – Scrub
Scrub with your toilet brush (make sure you get under the toilet rim and down deep in the bowl, you don’t want the grime to collect under there). Flush the toilet, then prop the brush under the toilet seat to drip-dry.
While any toilet brush will do, I have a favorite. This silicone toilet brush is fantastic. It is easy to clean off the bristles due to the material it is made of and has a great little scrub brush for under the toilet rim (which, a surprising number of people forget!). If you’re going to splurge on a bathroom cleaning product, this is a good one to choose.
Surfaces
I know everyone dreads cleaning the toilet, but bathroom surfaces are no picnic either. Loose hair, toothpaste stains, fingernail clippings, and worse are left in and around the bathroom sink, especially when you have young children.
So grab your homemade cleaner, and let’s attack those surfaces!
Step 1 – Spray
Spray the toilet, faucet, sink, and countertop with your preferred cleaner/disinfectant and let the cleaner sit for a minute or two. If you already have a favorite homemade bathroom cleaner, keep using it! If you don’t, though, I have a few recipes you might want to try.
This lemon-scented vinegar cleaner is easy and super inexpensive. It uses two ingredients in a plain spray bottle: distilled vinegar, and citrus peels. So easy! And as a natural bathroom cleaner, you don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals eating away at your surfaces or polluting your house with their chemical scent.
But if it’s been a while since you’ve given your powder room a good scrubbing, the best bathroom cleaner to use on tough stains is my homemade shower cleaner and soap scum remover. It uses dish soap and vinegar to create a dynamic cleaning duo.
Step 2 – Wipe
While the bathroom cleaner is working its magic, use a clean, damp microfiber cloth, and wring it out a bit, so it’s wet, but not sopping wet. Use the damp cloth to clean the bathroom mirror (no need for a separate glass cleaner), then use the microfiber cloth to “rinse” the cleaning spray from the countertop, mirror, faucet, and sink.
Related: How to Wash a Microfiber Cloth After Using It
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If you use the right disinfecting bathroom cleaner, those hard water stains and toilet bowl stains are no match. For rust stains, caked-on dirt stains, and similar grime, make sure you use my Dawn and vinegar shower cleaner. Spray the cleaning solution, let it sit as long as you need to, and rinse it away.
Step 3 – Dry
Use a few paper towels or a microfiber cloth to dry the mirror, countertop, faucet, sink, and toilet, in that order. (That way, you’re going from the cleanest thing in the bathroom to the dirtiest thing, which saves you money on paper towels).
Use a final clean towel to buff a shine on your mirror and faucet. Throw away the paper towels (or put the dirty rag in your hamper) and put the toilet brush away.
Finishing Touches
Rinse the microfiber cloth thoroughly and wring it out one more time. Use the cleaning rag to spot-clean the floor as necessary or wipe up any hair, dust, or dirt hanging around. Don’t worry about deep-scrubbing the grout with a specialized tile cleaner. This is just a quick clean that keeps your bathroom clean enough so that children don’t fight about who has to use the “gross” bathroom.
Toss the dirty rags into your hamper or washer, and you’re done!
I’m telling you…Denise has got this whole thing down to a science! Thank you again for sharing your wisdom and experience with all of us! :)
What About The Tub And Shower?
- This quick and easy bathroom cleaning method doesn’t solve cleaning the bathtub or shower, so here are some quick tips to help you keep your bathroom clean and sparkling.
- Keep an old ratty towel in your bathroom so you can use it to dry off your shower walls after each use quickly. Cleaning this way only takes a few quick seconds, and it helps prevent both water spots and soap scum buildup!
- Alternatively, you can spray this homemade daily shower cleaner on your glass shower doors after each use (no need to wipe it down).
- When it’s time to deep clean your tub and shower, use this tub-and-shower cleaner to cut through stubborn soap scum, mold, and mildew with ease!
- Use the magic eraser to attack stains on your walls
Final Note
For best results, run through this cleaning routine at least once a week. If you have young children who enjoy making messes, you may want to do it more often (or better yet, teach them how to do it). That way everyone gets to use a clean bathroom
And please use extreme caution when using harsh chemicals. When possible, use natural bathroom cleaners, like vinegar, essential oils, and hydrogen peroxide. If you want to use up your current supermarket cleaners before making the switch, remember to keep your bathroom well ventilated and never use bleach-based cleaners and ammonia-based cleaners at the same time. The combination is toxic.
